Diaphragmatic breathing improves mental well-being and blood sugar in diabetics: Study

Uttarakhand, India: A recent study has found that the addition of systematic relaxation and diaphragmatic breathing to conventional type 2 diabetes (T2D) treatment improved mental well-being and blood sugar control in T2D. The study findings appear in the International Journal of Yoga Therapy.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body is not able to efficiently utilize insulin hormone. Diaphragmatic breathing is a type of breathing exercise that helps in strengthening the diaphragm, an important muscle that helps in breathing, and is said to have many health benefits. 

In the prospective study, Abhishek Yadav, Swami Rama Himalayan University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India, and colleagues assessed the effects of systematic relaxation and diaphragmatic breathing on anxiety, depression, and stress levels, as well as glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. 

The study included 100 patients with type 2 diabetes. They were randomly assigned to two equal groups -- Group A patients received conventional treatment for T2DM, and Group B patients received conventional treatment for T2DM plus training in diaphragmatic breathing and systematic relaxation and home practice of these stress-management techniques for 6 months. Depression, anxiety, and stress levels, blood sugar, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were recorded at baseline and after 6 months of treatment in all patients.